ARENA Program

Lead Organisation

Start Date

Project Partners

Location

Status

Project Basics

ARENA Program

Lead Organisation

ERM Power

Start Date

Apr 2017

Project Partners

Schools Infrastructure NSW

Location

New South Wales

Status

Current

Summary

The NSW Schools Energy Productivity (SEPP) program will demonstrate the benefits of integrating energy productivity improvements and renewable energy across selected NSW sites. The aim is to accelerate widespread adoption within schools and leave a legacy of increased skills, capacity and knowledge that will extend beyond the pilot.

How the project works

ERM Power will use its deep knowledge and experience gained throughout the past five years working with Queensland State Government owned schools to provide analysis, insight and support to improve existing procurement and deployment activities to reduce costs and accelerate the adoption of renewable technologies and energy productivity improvements across NSW State Schools.

ERM Power will also develop a suite of engagement solutions designed to overcome traditional barriers to the adoption of positive energy behaviours at local School level to drive further energy productivity improvements.

Area of innovation

Currently, SINSW’s resource efficiency program is limited to procuring and installing LED lighting and large-scale solar PV systems.

The SEPP pilot aims to complement, extend and further streamline current efforts by undertaking process design and advisory activities that explore how to further reduce energy costs and maximise the value of investments.

The pilot will establish a method of school engagement in 20 pilot schools that leaves a legacy of better knowledge and energy use behaviours, that once proven successful can be replicated across all NSW schools.

Benefit

The targeted outcomes of the Pilot include:

drive significant and replicable energy cost savings (~20% at a minimum) as a result of energy productivity improvements and installation of renewable technologies over the short term, and reduction of maintenance costs over the medium to long-term

integrate energy productivity improvements including the streamlining of Schools Infrastructure New South Wales (SINSW) existing procurement and deployment programs to catalyse and accelerate the adoption across the NSW school portfolio and create further uptake nationally

share outcomes, data driven insights and learnings from the pilot with key policy and decision makers within NSW Government, the broader industry and school networks to accelerate investment across Australia